


A Once and Future Love

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: Adrinette April 2018 [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette April, Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, adrienette - Freeform, no reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-04-20 03:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14251869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: In their final year of secondary school, Adrien and Marinette are closer than ever.  They are both secretly pining.  Can they get their act together?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a set of some of the 2018 AdrinetteApril prompts that work as an overall story rather than the serial stories I often do for these challenges.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette secretly (and not so secretly) admire things about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April prompt #6 - admiration.

Adrien watched as Marinette's hand darted over the page, her pencil leaving sure smooth stokes.  She was in the zone and oblivious to the cafe around them, so he simply waited, knowing she'd eventually exhaust this streak of inspiration.  

He shielded her from interruptions, ordering her favorite tea and waving off additional service.  They came here often enough that the staff knew they could expect a decent tip if they stayed away when asked.  He also happily turned away a classmate that he was reasonably certain was working herself up to asking Mari out. His presence was often enough to keep would-be suitors away, thank goodness, but once in a while, someone realized they weren't actually dating and thought they had a chance with her.  He'd learned not to let jealousy cloud his judgement, and was careful when suggesting their classmate call or find Mari after school tomorrow.

Later, when they moved their study session to her apartment, he let his eyes wander over the walls.  She had one big collage of photos of her friends, and he was delighted to be strongly featured, and not in formal modeling images.  In the last two years she'd also put up easy-to-modify season and idea boards that she added to and changed while she was working on a collection or random designs.

"Oooh," he murmured appreciatively, crossing the room to look at the one she called her pre-inspiration wall.  Tucked under the snug ribbons were pictures of Chat Noir,rough evening wear sketches, and various swatches of black, green, and gray fabric.  "What's going on here?" he asked, feeling the swatches between two fingers. They all felt so nice, and he suspected they had elegant flow with movement.  Mari liked comfortable clothes and swishy draping.

She looked up, her eyes following his focus.  "Oh, yeah." She grinned. "I've been toying with some stuff.  It's not quite coming together yet, so I'm letting my brain percolate a bit while I finish the current collection."

"You're going to do these next?" he asked, hearing the eagerness in his own voice, but it was okay.  She'd made him comfortable displaying emotions here, such a difference from his house.

She nodded, beaming at his reaction.  "I'm sure once the idea really coalesces, I'll have a lot of great ideas.  I feel like I'm on the cusp of some huge breakthroughs. Truly innovative designs, you know?"

He let out a happy sigh.  "Mari, you're so amazing. Do you realize that?"

She giggled.  "What, because I can design Chat Noir inspired clothes?  You haven't even seen them yet."

He shook his head.  "No. Because I  **know** these are going to be stellar simply because they're going to be made by you.  You do more designing a season than my father does, and you're doing it alone, without a team of underlings, or a bad temper, all while you're preparing for Final Bac."  He mentally high-fived himself when her cheeks went pink.

* * *

Marinette rubbed her hands together, wriggling and stretching her neck to see where Adrien stood at his keyboard.  His eyes were on Luka, awaiting his cue for their first song. 

In the last few years, Kitty Section had started to really come together as a band.  They'd gradually developed a sound that worked for them and drew an audience. While his father hadn't been pleased to discover his son was part of an ensemble, a rock band no less, but as long as Adrien continued to progress with his classical work, he was permitted this tiny display of rebellion.  She'd been impressed when Adrien asked Alya help him develop arguments to support staying in the band. The most effective had been that it would be good for publicity. It showed Gabriel's son as well-adjusted despite Paris' supervillain problem, kept him in the public eye, and allowed Adrien's to believably model edgier styles that his sweet reputation might have made incongruous..

The park was packed, and Marinette grinned when she recognized how many people were wearing the band's t-shirts.  They were definitely going to need to move to larger venues soon. She closed her eyes as the band began to play.  

If Luka had been happy to have Adrien join as a keyboardist, it was nothing compared to how he reacted when he discovered just how good her blond friend was.  Now, he made a point to write with Adrien's skills in mind, and it showed. Complex keyboarding mixed with equally challenging guitar as the band's signature sound. 

When she opened her eyes, Adrien was smiling at her.  He winked once before joining in on the chorus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speed write.
> 
> I meant to post this last night but I hurt myself at the water park and decided to go to bed early.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette get to mutually ogle each other at Chloe's last hurrah before Final Bac pool party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April prompt #8 - pool parties

Adrien draped his towel over the back of a lounger tucked under the shade of a large umbrella out of splashing range of the pool.  He'd already applied sunscreen at home before getting dressed. He didn't dare end up with tan lines, and he'd learned the hard way that it was best to just apply the first coat both well in advance and before he actually put on clothes.  It kept him from missing spots.

He put his small duffle on the table and looked around the Le Grand Paris' pool deck.  Several of his classmates were already milling about, sipping icy drinks, inflating tubes, or otherwise preparing to spend a few hours in the pool. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and glanced up to see Marinette come out onto the patio.

He gasped, feeling like he'd been sucker-punched by an akuma. A tiny pair of black boy shorts hugged her hips, swaying as she sashayed toward him.  Okay, she was just walking, but his Mari-centric, seventeen-year-old brain immediately made it more than that, even though his pro-model brain knew better.  Above totally ripped abs that he would  **never** have imagined hid under her clothes, she wore a black spotted red halter.  The overall effect was a suit that was perfect for an active day in the heat, but somehow more sexy than the least modest bikini he'd seen on the spring runways.

"Hi Adrien!" she called, waving and making a beeline toward him now that she'd spotted him.  "No Nino yet?" she asked as she claimed the other most shaded chair.

He shook his head, not entirely sure where his voice had gone.

"Alya texted me that she was going to be late."  She wrinkled her adorable face into a disagreeable expression.  "She had a wardrobe malfunction when she tested out her suit this morning, so an emergency shopping trip was necessary."  She shook her head. "I  **told** her she should have let me make her a suit, but she had to go mail order."

Adrien laughed.  "A huge mistake," he agreed, now that his ability to speak had come back online.  He gestured to her suit, making a concerted effort to neither gawk nor point to any specific part of her anatomy in case that made her self conscious.  "Uuh. Did you make yours?"

Mari beamed and struck an exaggerated pose, the back of the one hand on her forehead as if the heat was getting to her, and one knee popped out.  "Yep. It's my latest, and I love how it turned out."

"Ladybug is a good look on you," he said.  If it weren't such a risky thing, he'd ask her to cosplay as Ladybug to his Chat Noir at the next convention.  But he didn't dare tempt fate that way. He avoided black whenever possible.

"Oh no,"she said, shaking her head.  "It's Ladybug." She waved to the top.  " **And** Chat Noir."  She spun around to show off the single neon green pawprin on her right buttcheek.  

He wheezed in response, clapping a hand over his mouth to block the sound, but it was too late.

She looked over her shoulder at him, grinning mischievously,  "This just struck the right amount of sass to fit the personality of that kitty of ours."

"You post a picture of yourself in that suit, and I'm pretty sure he'll be  **all** yours," Adrien said.  It was true, but he really needed to put a leash on his lips if he didn't want to out his identity.

She giggled, turning back to him with a hint of pink in her cheeks that could have been from the sun or his terrible attempts at flirting.  He couldn't help it. He'd learned all his techniques from anime and over the top cheesy older models. Ladybug hadn't realized he meant it, and Marinette probably didn't know he was actually flirting either.  

"And you're wearing the latest from Gabriel, I see," she said, waving her elegant little hand toward his navy striped periwinkle trunks.

"Fresh off the production line," Adrien admitted.  The suit had shown up shortly after he told Nathalie he'd be attending Chloe's late spring pool party, one last hurrah before they all had to buckle down for Final Bac.  He hadn't even gotten to choose the color. "Do you make men's suits?" he asked, trying to decide if the angle of her gaze was directed at his suit or his abdomen. Being Chat Noir had definitely not hurt his physique, and he really hoped she wasn't analyzing patterns and stitching.

She dragged her eyes up to his.  "I've got a design in mind that matches this one, but I haven't had anyone to make it for."  She shrugged. "Nino didn't dare get a hero swimsuit before Alya, and I still haven't convinced her."

"Yeah, well you've convinced  **me** ," he insisted.  "I want one as soon as you can fit it into your schedule, without jeopardizing your studies," he cautioned.  "And I expect to be charged designer prices."

"You could just model for me, for my portfolio," she said quietly.  "If it won't get you in trouble with your father, I mean."

Adrien grinned.  "I'm not actually under contract right now, so there's no non-compete clause to watch out for."  He winked. "I'd love to model for you. Just let me know what measurements you need, or when I should stop over for you to get them yourself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speed write.
> 
> My shoulder is slowly improving and I have no paying clients today, so hopefully I'll get caught up in between volunteer stuff.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is invited to stay for dinner and it makes him feel things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April prompt #9 - jealous

"Okay, so here's what the final design will look like," Marinette said, holding up her sketch book.  The page featured a front and back view of the swim trunks as well as two drawings of him wearing them.

"Woah," he whispered, reaching for the book.  He'd been watching her design for years, and he knew she was amazing, but this was some next level stuff.  His own father didn't bother to use real people in his design sketches, just headless mannequins, even when they were allegedly inspired by his own son.

She smiled, clearly pleased with his reaction.  "You like?"

He shook himself a little, taking a moment to look at the design.  Honestly, he hardly cared about the design as long as she made it. "Yeah.  It's perfect."

"Sweetie, dinner's about ready," Sabine called from the bottom of the stairs.  Adrien turned his gaze that direction, though it was clear she wasn't coming up.  "And Adrien, you're welcome to stay, if it's okay with your father."

"Thanks Sabine, I'd love to."  He pulled out his phone and looked at the calendar.  "I'm free, so that would be great."

"I'll just set a place for you, dear," Sabine called back.

Glancing back at the sketch, he frowned, not really seeing the picture anymore.  

"Hey," Marinette said gently.  "You okay?" Her hand settled on his forearm, warm and reassuring. "See something you want me to change?"  She tapped the picture.

Adrien shook his head, silent a moment longer.  "No. Your design is perfect."

She eased the spiral-bound book out of his hands.  "Okay. So what's wrong? And don't try to tell me nothing, because I won't believe you."

He sighed.  Marinette had been his friend for over four years now, and he'd only been permitted to have her over for dinner twice, and those had to be scheduled well in advance.  Alya had never eaten over, and Nino had only been allowed once, and that was really recently. Tom and Sabine invited him to stay for meals whenever he was over. It was really nice, but it also reminded him how cold his father was, how sterile his house was.

"I… I'll sound like a whiny brat," he said, hoping to stall her.  "It's really not…"

"Adrien," she said, her voice kind but firm.  "You're allowed to feel things, you know."

"It's not particularly nice."  He stared at his hands.

"The feeling isn't?" she asked, pushing her chair closer to him.

He nodded.  "It's one of the ugly ones, to be honest.  And… I don't want you to think badly of me."

Her hands wrapped around his, and he raised his head to look into her eyes.  "Some feelings are like that, and it's still okay. Feelings aren't bad or good.  It's how we act on them that matters."

He snorted.  "Not so sure I agree with you Mari."  His father pretty much considered all emotions bad, so it was hard to see her point.

"Which one is it, then?" she asked, squeezing his hands before letting go and straightening up.  It gave him space without her really moving away. "I promise I'll forgive you for feeling it."

He hesitated, but it wouldn't do any good to deny it.  She'd get it out of him eventually. "Jealousy." He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the disappointment.  "Your family, it's so… warm. Welcoming. I don't have that, and I want it. So badly." He rubbed one hand over his sternum, trying to dull the ache these feelings were causing.

"Oh."  It was almost inaudible, and he didn't dare look, out of fear over her reaction.

"I know.  I'm awful."  He sighed. "I'm sorry.  Maybe... I should… just go home," he suggested.

"No!"  Her outburst seemed to have surprised her.  "Please stay." Her hands took hold of his wrists.  "It's not fair what you have to put up with, Adrien.  You deserve the warmth that you want so much."

When he finally looked at her, he didn't see disgust or judgement.  If anything she just seemed sad.

"It's okay for you to feel this way, because what you've got… it's not right."  She slid her hands up his arms as she got of her chair to hug him. "It's good that you're able to see the kind of… home life you want.  Because someday, you can have that."

"I can?"  He hadn't thought of it that way at all.

She nodded, her face pressed against his shoulder.  "Of course you can. Now that you've seen it, you can make that for yourself after you move out of your father's house and make your own life."

"Promise?" he asked, his grip on this hope fragile.  His father wouldn't make any of that easy, but she was right.  Having seen and identified what he wanted, he'd fight for it, if he had to.

"Promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speed write.
> 
> I'll be coming back to this story for prompt 14


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a haze of post Final Bac cuddles, Adrien feels compelled to tell Mari something important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April prompt #14 - confess

Adrien sat on Marinette's chaise, her small warm body tucked close to his as a film played on her computer.  It was the live action Mulan filmed in China a few years back, and the subtitles were on for her benefit, though he didn't think she was making an effort to read them anymore.  They'd finished their exams that afternoon, and everyone was too tired to celebrate. He'd gone home with Mari by habit, and hadn't felt like leaving.

"You're a nice pillow," she mumbled.

"I am?" he asked, surprised.  He personally felt like he was all odd angles thanks to his stupid model diet, and muscles thanks to his time as Chat Noir; neither of those sounded particularly comfortable.

She nodded.  "You smell nice."  She took a slow deep breath, and he had to make a significant effort not to laugh out loud at that.  She was probably too tired to realize that she was sniffing him.

"All those showers paying off, you know," he teased.

"No," she disagreed.  "It's not like shampoo or soap.  It's not your detergent or cologne."

"I don't actually wear cologne," he pointed out.

She swatted at his chest lightly.  "Know that, silly." She snuggled a little closer.  "I like being near you. Makes me happy."

He tightened the arm that had been casually draped around her in the past.  "It makes me happy, too. You have no idea."

"So tell me," she suggested, turning her head to look up at him for a moment before resettling her ear against his upper chest.  "You want to be happy, you deserve it, remember? Help me understand how this makes you happy."

She was drowsy, probably on the cusp of sleep.  It made absolutely no sense, yet also all the sense in the world, to have this conversation now.  He'd been putting it off until after Final Bac, and he'd run out of excuses. "It's you," he said simply, trying to pull together all the words he'd been considering.

"Me?"  She sounded surprised.

"Yeah."  He reached over with this free hand and tucked her hair behind her ear.  "Just being around you makes me happy. When I've had a bad day, you always make it better."

"Not always," she said.  

"I didn't say you make all the bad go away completely, you silly cupcake," he said with a little laugh.  "But you can improve even my worst days."

"Oh."  Her voice was small, almost shy.  "I didn't know that."

"I have a lot of not great days.  You've seen that." With anyone else he would have been embarrassed by how much of his personal turmoil she'd witnessed.  "And I can say you definitely help, more than anything else." He ran his finger down the center of her adorable nose. "Can I tell you somethin, Mari?"

Staring up at him, she nodded without breaking eye contact or speaking.

He took a deep breath.  "You don't have to have a response, and you don't have to feel the same way, but I want you to know… no, I need you to know that I don't just like you as a friend, and I haven't for a while.  I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you."

Her adorable mouth formed an oh, though no sound came out.

"Your friendship is ridiculously important to me, so I'll do whatever I have to, to keep it," he promised.  "And if that's all you want with me, I will still consider myself fortunate." One of her hands was tightened into a fist in her lap.  He lifted it gently, tucking his thumb into her grip. "But if there's a chance you feel more for me, I needed to make sure my feelings were clear."  He shrugged. "You know, in case you haven't been able to tell that I meant it when I've flirted with you. Nino says I'm awful at it."

A smile spread over her face, chasing away the vestiges of stress and exhaustion."I like how you flirt."  She squeezed his thumb. "And I've meant it, too, when I've done the same to you."

Delight washed over him, chased by surprise.  "Wait… you've been flirting with me?"

Marinette giggled.  "For ages." She let go of his hand to slip her arm around his waist.  "And since you've been so brave and clear, you should know that I think I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speed write.
> 
> I'll return to this story for day 18.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien confessed after Final Bac was over, but now he's been too busy for them to go out on a date. It's time for a special umbrella to make an appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April prompt #18 - umbrella.
> 
> I was influenced a little bit by [some very sweet art ](http://thereadables.tumblr.com/post/142772968173/thanks-for-the-umbrella-adrien-marinette) by [ thereadables](http://thereadables.tumblr.com/) over on Tumblr.

Marinette grinned as she snatched Adrien's umbrella before charging down her steps to meet him at the park.  He was only available for a short time in between photoshoots, and they'd agreed it was better to have a little time together than none.

"I'm heading out now," she called as she went through the bakery.  "I'll be back soon."

"Be sure to bring an umbrella," her mother replied, only looking up from the shelf she was stocking after she'd spoke.  "Ooh. The  **special** umbrella, eh?"

"I have a plan."  Marinette held up one finger.  She would have liked to expound on her plan, but she saw the clock.  "Is  **that** the time?  Yikes. Gotta go!  Bye!"

She felt Tikki vibrating in her purse, a likely sign that she was giggling.  The purse popped open, but the little red kwami just looked up at her with big happy eyes.

"Quiet you," Marinette said, trying not to laugh, herself.

"But you're so funny," Tikki said quietly.  "I can't help it."

"I'm going to run," Marinette warned her.  "I'll try not to bounce you too much, but…"

The purse snapped shut.  "I'm buckling up."

Marinette's purse was a carefully constructed ruse.  Sure, it held her cell phone and keys. But that was about it.  The rest of the purse was designed to keep her kwami comfortable, so there was extra cushioning, storage for sweets, and wide ribbons with buttons so Tikki could fasten herself into place.  She'd gone airborne more than once, due to Marinette's less than graceful ways, and she wanted to protect her friend if possible.

Breaking into a jog, Marinette rushed toward the park.  The air felt heavy and full of potential, but the cloud coverage wasn't complete.  There were holes here and there where blue sky peeked out. Despite Adrien's significant popularity, his father's team found that the fuss tended to die down in between big promotions.  He only tended to get mobbed if there was a commercial, or something like that racy leather shoot from two months back; Marinette was a huge fan of that particular spread, and was wondering if she might be able to finagle a few of the unpublished shots.  He was able to do public photoshoots during the lulls.

There hadn't been much opportunity for them to get together since their post Final Bac  mutual confession. Mostly, it was stolen moments like these. While Marinette was enjoying holding his hand and talking about possible dates, it was getting a little ridiculous, and she could see it was wearing on him just as much as it was on her.

As she approached the tent, the first few raindrops started to fall.  She heard a sudden commotion, and the photography gear was hastily hauled into the tent as well.  She saw Adrien standing several feet from the tent, probably trying to be visible for her, and he held his hand out to catch a few raindrops.

Popping up the much beloved black umbrella, Marinette got iit over his head just as the rain really started to fall.  "Hello there," she said brightly.

"Mari!"  His eyes lit up, and he pulled her into a hug, careful not to knock the umbrella astray.  "I was wondering if you might not be able to make it." He shrugged, then reached out to gently hold the fingers of her free hand.

"Of course I made it."  She squeezed his hand. "I wanted to see you."

He gazed at her wistfully.  "Same. But to be honest, I really want more than the five or ten minutes we're going to get.  Maybe more if this ran can keep it up."

She nodded.  "I feel the same, but it's okay."  The last time they'd spoken about it, he'd been apologetic to the point of being absurd.  "You don't have control over this, and it's going to wrap up in the next week. Then we can go out."

"Are you free Tuesday evening?" he asked.  "My schedule suddenly opened up, and I know it doesn't give us a lot of time, but... "  He faltered and looked at her. "I just want to romance you."

She giggled.  "I can make Tuesday work," she promised.  The sound of the rain hitting the nylon overhead was slowing down.  "Uhm. Did… do you recognize this umbrella?" she asked.

He glanced up at the ribs, then down the handle before nodding.  "This is  **the** umbrella, isn't it."  It wasn't a question. During some of their phone calls they'd discussed when they'd realized they cared for each other as more than friends.  For her, it had happened twice, once when they first met, then again more recently after they'd been close friends for a couple of years.

"Yes.  This is my lightning strike umbrella."  She tilted it slightly, shielding them from the crew peeking out from the tent.  While they would probably claim to be monitoring the weather, it was clear they were watching.She slipped her fingers out  of his hold, raising them up to caress his cheek. Stretching up onto her toes, she was able to just barely brush her lips against his.

"Oh," he whispered, closing his eyes and bending a little to press them more firmly together.

Another breath, and he'd wrapped his arm around her, steadying the umbrella while he kissed her back.

They hadn't done this yet, but it felt so comfortable and natural.  She was just considering seeing what he thought about adding tongues to their kissing, when the shoot coordinator announced they'd be starting back up in five.

Marinette gently eased back from him, delighted by the way his eyes delicately fluttered open.  "Catch you later, hot stuff." Though she kind of wanted to leave the umbrella with him, she worried about it getting lost or discarded by the crew, so she propped it on her shoulder, shot him a wink, and slowly sauntered away.  When she glanced back, he watched her as if mesmerized, a delightful blush on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speed write


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien talks to Marinette about scarves and the benefit of keeping her door closed when he visits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April prompt #20 scarf

"Marinette, dear, Adrien's here," Sabine called, standing at the bottom of the stairs while Adrien waited just beside the shelf with family photos.  He loved looking at those.

"He can come on up," Marinette replied.  "Thanks maman."

Sabine beamed at him.  "Are you staying for dinner?" she asked.  "We'd love to have you."

Adrien nodded.  "We didn't have real plans for that.  But we are going out for ice cream after, though."

She patted the middle of his back.  "Go on up. We won't intrude, especially if you close the door this time."

"Oh, he stammered, his cheeks going red, as he remembered Sabine walking in when he and Mari were kissing… intensively.  "Uh. Thanks?" He darted up the steps. He found his girlfriend hanging a couple of her designs in progress to the bottom of her bed.  "Ooh. What are you making?"

She looked up and smiled. "Why are you so red?"  She walked over and pressed her cool hands to his cheeks.  "Did Maman say something?"

"Kind of."  He glanced over to her trap door.  "She suggested we close the door if we don't want them to walk in on us again."

"Pfft."  Marinette snorted and moved away only to shut said door, then she was back.  "All safe from peeking parents. Do I get a kiss now?" Her hands rested lightly on his shoulders. For all that her tone was light and teasing, the question was sincere.  They were both still very new at this, having only had their first date a week and a half ago. While they seemed to enjoy the new physical side of their relationship, they were also very keen to keep each other's comfort level in mind.

He caught her chin and kissed her once, lightly.  "How's that?"

She pouted.  "I wanted more kisses than that."  She fluttered her eyelashes in an exaggerated fashion.  "Don't you want kisses and cuddles?"

"I do," he admitted.  "But I need to talk to you something first, and if we start cuddling, it will totally slip my mind."  He stepped back and rummaged in his bag. "I have two requests, favors, really. Though I'd be happy to pay you for your services."

"My  **services** ?" she asked, somehow making it lewd.

He rolled his eyes.  "Your design and knitting services, Maricakes."  While keeping his head tilted mostly down, he gazed up at her in one of the looks that she'd mentioned being particularly fond of in one of his recent magazine spreads.  "For those… other… services, I fully expect to pay in kind." He winked.

Squealing, Marinette spun away from him.  "Aaaaah!"

He chuckled.  "Too much?"

She covered her face with both hands.  "I can't handle you when you get that hot," she blurted, laughing and shaking her head.

He pulled out a light blue scarf that he'd had for many years.  It had reached a point that he couldn't wear it if his father was around, it was too ratty.  He held it up.

"Oh, your scarf," she said quietly, taking it from him.  She worked the knit between her fingers.

"Yeah.  My scarf."  She'd never told him, and he'd never mentioned that he'd figured it out.  It was time to fix that. "Uhm. I probably should have told you this like years ago, when I first realized.  But… it felt too late. The damage was done."

"Damage?"  She looked over the scarf as if assissing it.  "It looks a little worn, but…" She shrugged.

"That's not what I meant," he said gently.  "I found your signature. It's pretty buried, but it's there if you know what to look for."

She hugged the scarf to her.  "I'm sorry I didn't correct you."

"You only wanted me to be happy," he finished for her.

She nodded, her expression still a little worried.

"I know."  He smiled and reached out to stroke her cheek.  "I've actually known about the scarf for a couple of years.  That's why it's still my favorite even though my father's a dick."

She grabbed his hand and kissed his fingers.  "So what's your favor?"

He gestured to the scarf.  "In your expert opinion, is it salvageable?  If it is, I'd like to get a green one to match.  If not, I'd like a replacement, and a green one."

"You like it enough you want two of them?" she asked.  "What if I make you a replacement that's green on one side and blue on the other?"

He shook his head.  "No. I need two separate scarves.  The blue one is for me. It matches your eyes.  The green one, is for you." He shrugged. "I'd make it myself, but I have to tell you Mari.  I tried knitting, and it was awful. It is not something I have a knack for.  At all."  He beamed at her.  "And I really want them to match."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speed write


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is really happy to be dating Marinette, and he wants to come clean to her on a sort of important detail about his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Adrinette April concluded and I hit the prompts I wanted to, this piece really needed one more chapter to feel complete.

"Hey LB," Chat Noir called.  "I need a quick word." They'd just wrapped up an akuma, and while they were both on a count down, they had enough time for this.

"Sure thing Kitty."  She looked up and pointed to a nearby empty rooftop.  "See you up there in fifteen." Her bandalore shot out and she flew away, leaving him to chase after.

He touched down seconds after her.  Ladybug was one of his dearest friends, and as his first superhero partner, they had a long relationship.  He needed to tell her this, because that relationship was, and would always be, important to him.

"What's up?"  She tilted her head and looked up at him, reminding him a bit of his girlfriend.

He couldn't help but smile.  "I'm going to tell my girlfriend who I am," he said. "I wanted you to know about it because I always sort of felt you should know first."  He shrugged. "You're one of the most important people in my life, and I wouldn't want to hurt you by doing this out of order."

"Oh."  She stared at him, her eyes wide.

"But I'm also not going to push my identity onto you if you're not ready to know," he added quickly. "It's just… she's so… I love her."  How did thinking about Marinette make all his words fall out of his head. He stared at his feet while he collected his thoughts. "She's my best friend.  She's given me something I didn't think I was allowed to have. And I hate lying to her."

"She sure means a lot to you," Ladybug said gently.  "I'm glad, Kitty. You deserve to be loved like this.  And… I kind of see your point." She tugged at one of the buns her hairstyle had morphed into a couple years back.  "If you trust her, I guess… it's worth the risk. I'd hate for things to go wrong because she thought you were cheating on her or something."

That was an awful thought.  "Oh god. I didn't even…"

Ladybug caught his hand as he started to work himself up into a panic.  "Chat, it's okay. I mean, she hasn't said anything about your absences, has she?"

He shook his head, relaxing with a sigh.  "She's sweet and she's so trusting. But she's like you in that she hates liars."

Ladybug nodded once, decisively.  "I'm not sure if I'm ready to reveal myself…"  She frowned. "But I guess I have a similar situation.  I started seeing someone recently. I've known him for years, and I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a complete scatterbrain, capable of getting lost on the way to the park across the street from my house, but he loves me anyway."  She chewed on her lip, something else Marinette did when she was trying to make a tough decision. "Do you think I should tell him?"

It was such a turn about for them.  "Only if you want to, Bug. Only when you're ready."

"I should probably tell you first, though."  Her eyes were painfully sad. "You deserve to know more than anyone.  You've waited years."

He reached out and settled a hand on her shoulder.  "Bug, you don't have to tell me anything," he insisted.  "When we were new at this, and I wasn't sure you trusted me, I might have been hurt.  But not now. I've come to terms with a lot of things, and it's going to mean so much more when you are ready to tell me in your own time."

* * *

Adrien had set up Marinette's balcony for a perfect romantic date.  Conspiring with her parents had been the best idea. Not only had they let him in to the house and her room while their daughter was making some late deliveries, but they helped him with a few things he hadn't planned out as well.

It wasn't really anything like his last big rooftop romantic surprise, other than the roof part. Recycling that failed effort seemed an unwise plan.  He hoped it would help if she could see him with the backdrop of the city he loved enough to risk his life for. He wanted to be able to take her for a run to see the city, if she was up for it after.  He had a sneaky suspicion she wasn't going to be entirely happy about the risks he'd taken, so he needed her to see and understand. He wasn't trying to bribe her into accepting this part of his life. This was too important for ridiculous and over the top expressions of his affection to risk distracting them.

Her fairy lights were on, but not necessary just yet.  There were blankets and pillows to make the surface soft and comfy.  The night was warm without being stifling. He'd brought her a small bouquet, definitely not a "I fucked up please forgive me" arrangement, just a little something because he loved seeing her smile.  Her parents had provided snacks and lemonade.

"Adrien?" Her voice called up through the propped open skylight.  "My parents said you were… oh." Her head cleared the window and she looked around.  "Oh. This is a great idea!"

He patted the spot next to him. "All done with work?"

She beamed at him as she crawled across the blankets.  "Yes. My parents practically kicked me out of the bakery, even though I would've been willing to help with clean up."

"I love your parents," he said quietly.  "They know what really matters in life, and they're so good to us. To everyone, actually."

"They like you, too," she said, hugging him from the side.  "So what's the occasion? Or did you just feel like doing this?"

As if she wasn't amazing enough, here she was, giving him the opening he needed.  He wanted to get this over with so he could stop being so dang nervous and uncertain. "There's not really an occasion," he admitted.  "But there is something I want to talk to you about, and this provided the perfect setting."

She rubbed his back.  "You seem a little tense.  Is it something bad?"

He could practically see her catastrophizing already.  It was something he'd heard about from Alya and Nino for years before he'd seen it, and it was totally a sweet Mari thing that she did.  He shook his head. "It's not bad. It's just… I don't like keeping things from you and this is pretty big."

"Oh. Okay."  For some reason she actually seemed more serious and concerned with his reassurance.

"I want to show you something about me that no one else knows.  No one else is allowed to." He moved to both his knees, sweeping up her hands.  "It's… going to be kind of surprising, and I need you to try not to freak out, okay?"

Her pretty eyes were wide, and her nod of agreement was clipped and short.

"It doesn't change anything between us, okay?" He leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I just think this will prevent a lot of frustration and… worry later.  And I feel like such a jerk for keeping secrets."

"Does Nino know?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head.  "Nope. When I said no one knows, I mean you will be the  **very** first."  He waited, wanting to give her the time she needed to prepare herself.

She swallowed and nodded, her lip anxiously caught in her teeth.

He let go of her with one hand to gently free her lip with his thumb.  "It's going to be okay, Mari. I promise." He grinned. She was so forgiving and kind.  He had no doubt that she'd be okay with this eventually. "And I think we need a rule that I'm the only one who's allowed to nibble on that lip."

She gasped, her cheeks going pink.

He winked.  "I'm gentler than you."

Obviously trying not to smile, she shook her head.  "Just show me already, before I self-combust."

Looking her in the eyes, he whispered his transformation phrase.  "Plagg, claws out." Forcing himself not to glance away, he watched her face go blank for a moment before surprise took over. One of her hands slipped out of his hold before covering her mouth, though it didn't entirely hold back the high pitched squeal.  As the green magic faded, he shook his head to toss his unruly hair. "Hi." he said, feeling oddly shy.

She yanked her other hand free, but before he could be worried, she'd caught his face between her palms.  "Oh, oh! Omigod. It's… that's what you… How did I… Oh!" She babbled for a moment before stopping herself with a deep breath.  Her smile was simply radiant. "It's you!" There was awe in her voice. Her fingers lightly traced the bottom edge of his mask.

"Yeah.  It's me."  Why her happy reaction made his eyes sting, he couldn't be sure.  "Is it… is this okay?"

She tilted her head, and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes.  "My Kitty is always okay. He's better than okay."

Between the familiar movement and the nickname, something clicked in his head, and everything made sense.  "To be fair, I've always thought you were such a brilliant artist that you were easily distracted," he murmured, his vision getting a little blurry as his eyes welled up.  "I've never thought you were scatterbrained or incompetent. But you're right. I love you."

Their run through Paris that evening was a little different than he'd expected, but no less beautiful or meaningful.  And when the day finally caught up with them both, she took his hand, led him back to her balcony and her room, dropping her transformation and inviting him to stay.

"Hey Mari," he whispered, his fingers running through her hair as they cuddled on her bed.

"Hmm?"  She gazed up at him, contentment clear on her face.

"Thanks for tonight.  You've given me a lot of really great days."  He'd never had a run of so many really nice days, not since before his mom vanished.  He realized that it wasn't even that everything was going well. "Being with you has really changed my perspective, and days that would have been bad before, are okay."

"You deserve to be happy, Adrien," she reminded him.

"I am," he insisted.  "So thank you for helping me see that, and for giving me so many happy days."

"We can have another one tomorrow," she suggested.

"Yeah," he agreed.  "I love that plan."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience on this one! I really hoped to have this done earlier, but life interfered. I'm on a roll now, though, and expect to get Some Things Are Meant to Be wrapped up next.
> 
> Thanks for jointing me on this adventure!

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to visit me over on [Tumblr](http://freedom-shamrock.tumblr.com/). If you have constructive feedback or need to discuss an aspect of this story, I've found that sort of thing tends to work better via direct messaging or asks than the comments section here.


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